Construction..101?

[Hector]

Hector's wild eyes dance a crazy dance as they bounce between each of the pack in turn. They land on Bird and sit there, out of sequence from the rest of the conversation.

"Well... A business gives us a base, at least. Somewhere embedded in the heart of our Totem's dominion; and I guess we can't hang out in an old railyard for much longer. It is worth a shot, will connect us with the Herd, and give us an excuse to hang around."

And Bird speaks. Hector grunts when the new wolf's Auspice is revealed.

"Yeah. We really need a New Moon right now."

Chris was... gone.

"Our Totem is Necessary Guile. A cat spirit of shadow and survival in the urban wilds. They want to thrive here. So we are looking to encourage plenty of hidey holes in this new urban wild - plenty of secret paths between places. Plenty of food. I'm thinking we need to encourage a network of back alley's both commercial and otherwise. Heck! Tunnels between buildings if we have to. Maybe try and preserve as much of the old railyards as possible. We don't want this area to become too upmarket... the street still has to be here. How else will Necessary Guile feed if the locals become fat, lazy, and... well... not desperate enough to have to make painful, necessary, choices that they wouldn't do otherwise?"

[Bird]

Bleeds Well's comment draws a look from Bird. It's not aggressive, but searching. Evaluating.

As the others continue their discussion, he squats and stirs the dirt with a finger; listening, thinking.

Even after Tiny asks Bird's position, he keeps his silence, drawing and erasing designs in the grit. Though, if anyone looks closely enough, it's clear he's contemplating. He seems wholly unaware of Hector's regard.

Finally, when the Alpha has said his piece, Bird pipes up: "What about a diner? Some place with warm food, cheap, open twenty-four hours. Attracts all types; everybody needs a meal, place to sit." More people to watch, a sense of rag-tag community, and their own activities would blend in. "Place like that gets to be the heart of the 'hood."

He rocks back on his heals and takes out his pack of menthols, extracts a square and lights it. Eyes find Tiny: "Not much on speculating," he responds. "But I'd want it to feel wild, crazy; I'd want it to be about the hustle. Not like 'development'," he spits out the word. "Natural growth, sprawl like, without a plan. Everyone getting their own where they can." A nod to Hector, "Kind of like the Boss says: not too upmarket."

What would the pack think of this new wolf's ideas? Bird's not sure. In the meantime, he sucks on his cigarette and watches for their reaction.

[Bleeds Well]

Buffalo Wild Wings looks to Hector. "I like this one. Bird's idea has a lot of merit. A diner, with some upstairs apartments, "local artist" works up for sale on the wall. Eclectic stuff that doesn't match, priced for sale to patrons like it's some real kitsch shit. A menu that's all over the place, way too big with a little bit of everything. TV's on the walls that show the soccer games on the English and Spanish channels. Selling over priced coffee in the front, and giving away food in the back to street. Mimosa's and Avocado toast on Sunday morning after cleaning coke residue off the toilet on Friday night."

Bleeds Well's clear enthusiasm for the idea fades out of his voice as he winds down. "The Irraka will hunt with me later," the invitation was clearly not a request. "Elodoth, it'd be good if you could join too," but the invitation to Tiny clearly was. "You both should see the city through my eyes. See how I hunt, know what I know." Bleeds Well's gaze flicks between the two, something hard behind his eyes as they fall on Bird, as if half expecting the Omega to dissent.

[Emily Makerith]

Emily shrugs as Tiny talks. "Thing is, it's still too early to tell what it's changing into. Our forces are small compare to the thousands of Herd changing this place, connected to the Spirit or not. I'm not saying it's pointless, far from it, I'm saying certain Spirits are dangerous but..." she looks form Tiny to Hector, "necessary. The corporate world is rife with deceit people believe necessary to gain an upper hand. A new financial sector could become a feasting ground for our totem - all we'd have to do is weed out influences we don't want and let the ones that do prosper." She takes another drag on the cigarette. "Might even sculpt Guile into something a little more... city-dwelling. Most important thing to remember - we don't destroy these spirits. Even if we take of them they return to the miasma of potentials - it's what ideas, emotions and drives are feeding into the Hisil that matter in the changing."

The Ithaeur leans against an old pole. "My advice? We don't have city hall influences, but our way of changing the spirits is beyond compare to anything people - uh, herd people - can do. Stalk the Hisil. Dominate that landscape and put up our markers as the material changes."

She stays out of letting Bleeds well have his piece. He was so serious, it was easy to forget he was several years her junior. But of all of them, she probably new him best by now. They were more similar than first glance appeared, probably the Rahu influences in her life.

[Hector]

Hector has been listening, slowly raking a grimy hand through the stubble growing all over his face and neck. His eyes stop and hover over Emily Makerith when the Ithaeur speaks her thoughts on how to move forward.

"Yah. We're not changing our Totem. I don't think that is wise..."

Still, he can only grunt when she expounds further - hunting in the Hisil and sculpting the spirit landscape would definitely mean that only the right ideas take root in the area.

Shifting slightly and grinning again, he gestures to Bird

"Now a Diner... A diner works, man! Sure we could try and run a shop but that would be, like, one of many. A diner can have character and everyone knows that. A poorly tended bin will bring in food for Necessary Guile, keep the street people coming back too. Even a few regulars starts a community - which is what I guess Emily is saying. And we would get to cultivate the right crowd for our needs. Even if we can't manage the wider area we'll have a small central spot that suits us... And jobs I guess?"

He sniffed the air.

"So I guess we need to make friends in the Herd now. Like City Hall or whoever runs this development - we really need to know how far along this is. Especially if we're going to start directing it the way we want. Or something like that. Oh and... resources? I guess? Because a diner - or a shop - don't come cheap."

Now he looked back at Emily.

"And we have to hunt here more often. I've let us range far - its how we've always run, from before I was Alpha. I guess we should focus some love on our heartland. We need to know who is here if we are to help them... move on... and adapt to what is coming."

[Bird]

If Bleeds Well's enthusiasm for his idea pleases Bird, it certainly does not show. He's still squatting, back on his heels, nursing his cigarette and listening.

But when the Rahu asks, no orders, Bird to join him in a hunt later, that gets Fa-ninna's attention. Bloodshot eyes fix on Bleeds Well. He drags off the square, nods, exhales smoke, and says: <<Urum Da Takus.>> So that's settled.

Emily's words are taken in silence, but Bird nods his assent to her last point. Mind the Hisil, direct the change and growth. Keep things tight and keep them under control. Makes sense to his ears.

Hector's approval is met with a bow of Bird's head. You get props from the Alpha? You show that you hear it.

"I'm happy to wash dishes, mop, whatever. Hell, I'll even cook." A pause, "But no one down at City Hall wants to hear from Bird, I promise you. And I'm a little light on funds too." An understatement.

Bird stubs his cigarette out and stands, stretching. "I'm down with keeping an eye on the territory, down to hunt, and down to do what I can on the...legit side of things, once we're up and running. But permits and shit?" He shrugs. Does he really need to say anything more? His eyes cut to Tiny. The little man looks like the type who could contribute on this front.

[Tiny]

Tiny listens, and finds himself simultaneously liking bird, and knowing that if they were herd, he'd hate him.
Luna provides a lot of things, most notably the strangest of friends.

At Bleeds request, Tiny nods, "I think that would be a good learning experience. Maybe one day I'll teach you how I hunt. Its much more boring, but very satisfying."

"For the diner, we have an opportunity. This project is brand new, but its got a lot of push behind it. It may fall apart, but something is going to happen to the area. When the developers come, and they will come Bird, stopping them isn't a possibility without a lot of unnecessary violence, we need to present them with an easy solution. All developments lack character, lack that little something local. But we have that something local. With a lot of great concept art, and some finanicial obfuscation and some spiritual persuasion, we can convince them that the diner would be their fake character. We make it look old and weathered, something that has been around since the Union Pacific days and was just completely forgotten, run by a former homeless veteran of the railyards and full of "found art" it'll be the perfect smokescreen for them. And their smokescreen obscures our smokescreen. That the electrical and plumbing is up to code is thanks to a mysterious benefactor named Mr. Guile. Let the mystery play out. With the nearby courthouse i'll push juries to come there for lunch, the transients can live off the largess. Guile gets to be mysterious. Artists can ogle the found art and appreciate the cheap prices. We won't be a foundation or cornerstone, just the blending line between old and new, the development and the city."
The path of winter was to build and maintain, to build a blizzard so overwheleming that it was madness to go outside, far better to stay in and let the storm have its way.

"I don't have pull in City hall yet, but I know lawyers and judges. If we get in hot water, I can probably stall a case for a while. If we have the herd's law on our side, I should be able to get a quicker judgemetn to our benefit. And I have some funds. I may have to pull back from some pack business to get enough to get us noticed. We'll need a lot of money, but we can probably borrow a lot to cover too. And i'm all for what Emily said, we will need to prune the shit out of the hisil to get it how we want it. And we will want to come up with an idea of what we want now, so that we can get what we want later."

[Kelreth]

To help Bird get into Crashing the Party we will hand waive a bit of continuity and consider this scene to have occurred before Crashing.

[Bleeds Well]

As his orders and invitation ripple through the pack without challenge a tension is released from Bleeds Well. He will not have to defend his place in the pack today. Firmly in the middle, the Enforcer cracks his neck.

Bleeds Well grunts, clearly becoming impatient as the Elodoth starts talking about... whatever the fuck; his eyes glaze over somewhere around financial obfuscation. This part of the planning process clearly didn't not appeal to him as much as imagining what the place could be.

"Herd management..." he spits on the ground, toeing dirt over the spot. "Sheep dog work Chris," he mutters seething frustration at their missing pack member.

His eyes roll over the gathered pack, the Call is blessed once more.

"Bird's arrival is a blessing from the Lunes," his statement comes out like a hard left turn as he breaks up the rhythm of the conversation. "Irraka, Elodoth, Ithaeur, Cahalith, and Rahu... we have all the tools Mother can give us to mold our territory as Father did. I can throw a little cash your way, I keep some buried in a can near my forge behind Em's. It won't be much, but I'll do my part to build our herd business. Sister, I'll need to know what spirits we want chased off and which we should be protected in my hunts, let me know when you and Alpha decide," the eyes of the midnight wolf lurk somewhere behind his human ones, primality threatening to boil to the surface just from the talk of hunting. Those eyes catch Emily's briefly, she lived like this once, now she's damn near as balanced as one of the People can get. He drops his gaze away and looks over to Bird.

"Find me in Hisil when Hector's done with you," there's a misplaced aggression in the words that softens as he says them. As if just speaking to the new Omega is venting off some of whatever is pent up inside of Bleeds.

Those eyes find Hector, as his body moves by the slightest of degrees away from the circled pack. Can I get back to work boss?

[Emily Makerith]

Emily holds her hands up. "Woah, hey, chief. Not saying that at all. Thing is though, Totems change, just like any other spirit. If Guile hunts new prey, it shapes their essance. In being our totem, how we act can alter it's nature - intentional or not - just as we avoid acting within it's Ban. They're still spirits and change like 'em too. Just a thing to keep in mind."

The Ithaeur scratches her head idly. "I have a few friends more at the industrial end - Public works types - comes with the territory. Wait. Um. My job. So electrics and plumbing should be easy, assuming we can get the space." She blinks and shakes her head. "Wait a sec, are we actually doing this? Making this happen?"

She looks over to Bleeds Well. "I've had markers up in the Hisil around our territory for a while. You must've seen 'em. Anything inside is more for an eye than ouutside. I've got a few ideas - unless anyone wants specific things I'll go with best guess. we can run through in a couple of days." she pulled out a cellphone and scanned through a few things. Urgh. Sorry Mabs - looks like I'm also getting night shifts for a few weeks.

There's a glance over to Hector. "You said something about wanting people up on Rites - I'm down to teach some basics if you want. Say... Firday?" She plucks out a business card and stretches it towards Bird. "Here. case you need it."

[wtf] If people are wanting Rites I',m happy to do a scene for that.
Bird The business card has a crescent moon and "Makerith Motors" emblazoned on it, "Recovery, Repairs, Bodywork, Tuning, all DVLA approved" with an address and phone number.